Meta Unveils $1,299 VR Glasses and Camera-Free Ray-Ban Meta Audio at Connect

The Meta VR Glasses are smaller, lighter and slimmer than Meta's existing Quest-branded VR headsets, the report said. They will go on sale next spring for $1,299, making them Meta's first new VR device since 2024, when it launched the $299 Quest 3S headset.

In a keynote speech, Zuckerberg said Meta had decided to deprioritize its metaverse ambitions and develop fewer VR devices until it could achieve the breakthroughs needed to accelerate mass adoption of the technology. “This is a breakthrough,” he said as he introduced the new VR Glasses. He added that many people agree augmented reality glasses with holograms will be part of the future, but many are less interested in wearing a headset.

Zuckerberg said Meta chose VR glasses to create the same “magical feeling of presence and immersion with high-resolution displays and views of the world around you in a form factor that is a pair of glasses for the first time.”

The device is five times lighter than Meta's Quest 3 headset and looks more like regular glasses than any previous Meta VR device, according to SiliconANGLE. It is made of magnesium alloy and uses Qualcomm Inc.'s Snapdragon Reality Elite processor. A companion “puck” serves as the battery and can be slipped into a pocket or bag.

Zuckerberg said the VR Glasses are designed for entertainment. They feature a 5K Infinite Display built into the lenses using micro-OLED technology, with 37 pixels per degree, and support Dolby Vision and, for the first time, IMAX Enhanced. Users can download movies and watch them on the go, and the glasses support 3D experiences and movie formats that integrate the user's physical space into the viewing experience. Meta is working with the Walt Disney Co., and from November Disney+ will offer several 3D movies that can be viewed on the device.

According to Zuckerberg, viewers will see their surroundings “transformed with immersive environments, dynamic effects, stunning 3D visuals and spatial audio,” making the movie more like a VR gaming experience.

Meta also introduced Ray-Ban Meta Audio, its first pair of camera-free AI glasses. The company has faced criticism that earlier devices were used by some people to record others without consent. Zuckerberg said the new glasses are “audio-only” and let wearers chat with Meta's AI assistant Muse, listen to music and podcasts, take calls and translate speech. They will cost $349 and go on sale later this year.

Meta already sells a range of AI glasses with different brands, styles, colors and capabilities. To address privacy concerns, it integrated a highly visible red LED that automatically turns on when the camera is activated, and later issued an update to shut the camera down completely if the user tried to tamper with the LED. Many people still view the devices as “creepy,” according to the report.

Zuckerberg compared the audio glasses to Apple Inc.'s Siri-powered AirPods. “Once you get used to high quality audio, it's just a thing that you want all the time,” he said. Because there is no built-in camera, the new glasses are slimmer and lighter than existing models, weighing 43 grams. They have adjustable temple tips, overextension hinges and swappable nose pads, and a battery that lasts up to 12 hours. With the included charging case, users should get up to 48 hours of usage. The audio AI glasses will be available next month in a range of colors and support various lenses.

Editor's Summary Meta's Connect announcements pair a $1,299 high-end VR glasses product with a $349 camera-free AI audio glasses line, marking a renewed hardware push after the company deprioritized some metaverse efforts. The VR Glasses emphasize lighter design, entertainment and Disney+ 3D content, while Ray-Ban Meta Audio addresses privacy criticism by removing cameras. Both products are scheduled for release in the coming months, with VR Glasses next spring and audio glasses next month.